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Aren't You Annoyed with Me?
(By Rahman Sattary Martyr Sattary's Nephew)
I had just got my military service card, when my uncle came to the village Valliabad to visit the family. I was eager to serve at the Air Force so I took advantage of the opportunity and told him about it. He paused a little and then in a soft voice said "Dear nephew! You haven't been dispatched yet. When you get dispatched and sent to the Air Force, I will be at your service".
With this answer I was sure he would not do anything about it, so I did not insist any more. The day of dispatching I went to the compulsory military service office and after the distribution I was sent to the land forces and was deployed to Mash-had for my BMT (basic military training). I stayed there for one year and then I was transferred to Tehran to join the 21 Hamzeh divisions and be deployed to the front.
Before leaving for the front I decided to pay a visit to my uncle. When I entered his office he became very happy and asked, "What news?". I told him about my being sent to the front.
With a drooping head he said, "Aren't annoyed with me?" I replied, "What for dear uncle?" He replied, "Because I did not help you come to the Air Force to do your service". I replied, "What's all this talk for? May be this has been my fate.. I trust in God".
Laughingly he interrupted and said, "You have become a real man nephew. Go. God with you".
The next day I went with combatants of 21 Hamzeh division to the front. In the battlefield I participated in several operations and in the long run together with some other combatants was captured by Iraqi Forces in a surprise attack. We were sent to the Mousel concentration camp.
Six months later I was called to the office of the camp. The Colonel who was investigating me asked, "Are you General Sattary's nephew?" I did not know what to answer. I thought if I told the truth they would torment me so I answered, "NO".
The colonel said, "Our informers have reported you as General Sattary's nephew". I said, "They are wrong". I was sent to solitary confinement which was a tight and dark place. After 48 hours in there, a guard came and asked, "Will you introduce yourself or not?"
I said I had no relation with general Sattary.
The guard slammed the door an left the cell. A few minutes later he came back and took me to the colonel.
This time the colonel received me with a pleasant voice and asked me to sit down. He treated me to tea and in a friendly tone said, "I only want to know the truth. If you tell the truth I would do you no harm. I said "OK I will tell the truth". He asked, "Are you General Sattary's nephew?". I answered, "NO". Suddenly he became furious. His face turned purple with rage! He stood up and slapped me on the face several times and then took a cable, which was on his desk and stroke my face, severely. He turned to the people in his office and said, "Write, he must go to the Bagdad prison. There he will tell whether he is his phew or not". Due to the blow of the cable on my face, I got dizzy and fell to the ground. The guards lifted me up to take me out. The other colonel in the room told the investigator colonel "Give him time for the time being. Perhaps he will tell the truth. They gave me a respite of one day.
Meanwhile I saw one of the POWs. He said he had been released from the Bagdad prison. His face was pale and his body was lean. I asked for the reason, he said, "An Iranian informer had told on me and revealed my being a clergyman. I had denied it and would not admit. They sent me to the ministry of information prison and tortured me day and night and the result is what you can see now". He said when he left this place he weighed 70 Kgs and now just weighed 35 Kgs.
After hearing this captive, I decided to tell the truth in my next investigation session. The respite they had given me came to an end. I was sent to the same colonel's office for another investigation and this time I admitted. I thought that would give me relief but they took me for investigations every day and asked about the General's meetings with Islamic Republic authorities.
Since I had no knowledge about these meetings I could not give them information but they would not believe me and so they would start beating me and kicking me.
A year passed this way till the cease fire treaty was signed by Iran and Iraq. I returned to Islamic Iran after two and a half years of captivity.
At the airport, while getting off the plane, I noticed my uncle together with some other Air Force commanders awaiting me. Soon after seeing me he walked towards me and embraced me. While crying he congratulated me on my success and tolerance. I stayed at my uncle's for three days. After the three days he presented me a suit and a wrist- watch. With a prior notice that he had sent to Varamin and Qarchak he took me there. The people had gathered at the entrance of the town to see me.
They accompanied me to the village Valliabad.
I had just got my military service card, when my uncle came to the village Valliabad to visit the family. I was eager to serve at the Air Force so I took advantage of the opportunity and told him about it. He paused a little and then in a soft voice said "Dear nephew! You haven't been dispatched yet. When you get dispatched and sent to the Air Force, I will be at your service".
With this answer I was sure he would not do anything about it, so I did not insist any more. The day of dispatching I went to the compulsory military service office and after the distribution I was sent to the land forces and was deployed to Mash-had for my BMT (basic military training). I stayed there for one year and then I was transferred to Tehran to join the 21 Hamzeh divisions and be deployed to the front.
Before leaving for the front I decided to pay a visit to my uncle. When I entered his office he became very happy and asked, "What news?". I told him about my being sent to the front.
With a drooping head he said, "Aren't annoyed with me?" I replied, "What for dear uncle?" He replied, "Because I did not help you come to the Air Force to do your service". I replied, "What's all this talk for? May be this has been my fate.. I trust in God".
Laughingly he interrupted and said, "You have become a real man nephew. Go. God with you".
The next day I went with combatants of 21 Hamzeh division to the front. In the battlefield I participated in several operations and in the long run together with some other combatants was captured by Iraqi Forces in a surprise attack. We were sent to the Mousel concentration camp.
Six months later I was called to the office of the camp. The Colonel who was investigating me asked, "Are you General Sattary's nephew?" I did not know what to answer. I thought if I told the truth they would torment me so I answered, "NO".
The colonel said, "Our informers have reported you as General Sattary's nephew". I said, "They are wrong". I was sent to solitary confinement which was a tight and dark place. After 48 hours in there, a guard came and asked, "Will you introduce yourself or not?"
I said I had no relation with general Sattary.
The guard slammed the door an left the cell. A few minutes later he came back and took me to the colonel.
This time the colonel received me with a pleasant voice and asked me to sit down. He treated me to tea and in a friendly tone said, "I only want to know the truth. If you tell the truth I would do you no harm. I said "OK I will tell the truth". He asked, "Are you General Sattary's nephew?". I answered, "NO". Suddenly he became furious. His face turned purple with rage! He stood up and slapped me on the face several times and then took a cable, which was on his desk and stroke my face, severely. He turned to the people in his office and said, "Write, he must go to the Bagdad prison. There he will tell whether he is his phew or not". Due to the blow of the cable on my face, I got dizzy and fell to the ground. The guards lifted me up to take me out. The other colonel in the room told the investigator colonel "Give him time for the time being. Perhaps he will tell the truth. They gave me a respite of one day.
Meanwhile I saw one of the POWs. He said he had been released from the Bagdad prison. His face was pale and his body was lean. I asked for the reason, he said, "An Iranian informer had told on me and revealed my being a clergyman. I had denied it and would not admit. They sent me to the ministry of information prison and tortured me day and night and the result is what you can see now". He said when he left this place he weighed 70 Kgs and now just weighed 35 Kgs.
After hearing this captive, I decided to tell the truth in my next investigation session. The respite they had given me came to an end. I was sent to the same colonel's office for another investigation and this time I admitted. I thought that would give me relief but they took me for investigations every day and asked about the General's meetings with Islamic Republic authorities.
Since I had no knowledge about these meetings I could not give them information but they would not believe me and so they would start beating me and kicking me.
A year passed this way till the cease fire treaty was signed by Iran and Iraq. I returned to Islamic Iran after two and a half years of captivity.
At the airport, while getting off the plane, I noticed my uncle together with some other Air Force commanders awaiting me. Soon after seeing me he walked towards me and embraced me. While crying he congratulated me on my success and tolerance. I stayed at my uncle's for three days. After the three days he presented me a suit and a wrist- watch. With a prior notice that he had sent to Varamin and Qarchak he took me there. The people had gathered at the entrance of the town to see me.
They accompanied me to the village Valliabad.
